The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 208

Garnett understood the cue, stood up, and made his way toward the kitchen.

The back kitchen had been completely renovated, smartly dividing the Western and Eastern cooking areas. It featured top-of-the-line modern appliances, but sitting right on the gas stove was a traditional ceramic brewing pot.

Lavinia, using a thick towel to grip the hot handle, was carefully pouring the freshly brewed spiced pear tonic into a small porcelain bowl.

Seeing that the bowl was a bit out of her reach, Garnett reached over and nudged it closer to her. In doing so, Lavinia misjudged the angle, and the scalding hot liquid poured right onto his hand.

Garnett hissed sharply, drawing in a breath as his skin instantly flushed red.

Panicking, Lavinia slammed the ceramic pot down, grabbed his wrist, and shoved his hand under the faucet, blasting cold water over the burn.

"Mr. Harper, if you don't know how to help in the kitchen, don't try to be useful," Lavinia muttered under her breath.

"Are you seriously blaming me for this?" Garnett raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I suppose it's my fault," Lavinia retorted sarcastically.

"Are you trying to murder your husband?" Garnett snapped, clearly irritated.

Lavinia paused for a moment but didn't look up.

"Did the young master get burned?" Maeve walked in, spotting Lavinia holding Garnett's hand under the running water.

Lavinia pulled his hand away from the stream, inspected the skin closely, and said flatly, "He's fine. Some burn ointment will do. It doesn't even need a bandage."

"I'll go find the first aid kit." Maeve quickly turned and hurried out.

A moment later, the ointment was retrieved. Lavinia told Garnett to sit down, and she carefully applied the gel using a cotton swab.

The soft tip of the swab brushed against his skin—light and slightly ticklish. She held his hand, her palm as soft as spun sugar.

His fingers twitched. He felt an involuntary urge to let his hand linger against hers.

"Don't move. The skin here is sensitive right now. If you break the blister, it's going to get infected," Lavinia said coldly.

Maeve stood off to the side, a subtle smile creeping onto her lips.

She stepped forward to take the bowl of tonic. "I'll go let Judith know everything is fine."

Garnett stared at Lavinia and suddenly asked, "Are there men pursuing you?"

Lavinia paused for a second before answering nonchalantly. "Sure. Lots of them. My suitors line up from the Longway Embankment all the way to Esha Island."

Garnett's eyes turned frosty. "Including that Charley Sheffield?"

"Not him."

"That pearl jewelry set... who bought it for you?" Garnett asked.

Lavinia stopped and turned to look at him, throwing the question back. "Bought it for me? Wasn't it a corporate rival pulling a prank on you?"

From her reaction, it seemed she genuinely had no idea.

Garnett hesitated. "You don't have the necklace?"

"No. And I have no idea who won the bid," Lavinia said, her tone distant. "Besides you, I don't know anyone with that kind of money."

Garnett parted his lips. He thought about the tens of millions he had seamlessly transferred for Sigrid's ring. Then he thought about the monthly allowance he had set up for Lavinia.

Twenty thousand.

A sour, bitter taste coated his mouth.

Lavinia figured the whole pearl auction was an elaborate setup orchestrated purely to humiliate Garnett.

And whoever did it had succeeded. Garnett had never lost so publicly in his life.

"No one is going to drop a fortune just for me. You can rest easy, Mr. Harper," she said dismissively.